United States – Nevada
A bustling crowd filled the streets of Carson City, Nevada.
At the heart of the city stood a massive rectangular building—a landmark everyone in Carson City recognized well.
It was the location of NERV's Second Branch in the United States.
Every citizen of Carson City knew how much the Evangelion units inside that facility meant to America.
They were a symbol of protection—protection of the people, and of the nation itself.
After all, this was a city steeped in over a century of Wild West culture.
The cowboy's creed—defend the people, punish evil—had long been woven into the bones of its residents.
As a result, laughter and hearty voices could be heard everywhere in town, carried by the easy confidence of men who still lived by that old frontier spirit.
Of course, Carson City's ultimate rise to prominence came from a different source:
silver.
A century ago, a massive silver deposit was discovered nearby. That mine had birthed Carson City's growth and the prosperity of the surrounding towns.
And now, standing outside that same mine's entrance, was a short, wiry man, staring blankly into the tunnel as if lost in thought.
"Hey, Jack (OC)! What are you doing just standing there? Don't tell me you're daydreaming about that girl across from Knox Street again?
How many times do I have to tell you—if money can solve it, it's not a problem!"
A huge, broad‑shouldered man slapped the short fellow hard on the shoulder, laughing heartily.
The short man, Jack, winced and rubbed his aching shoulder.
"Would you quit hitting me so hard? My shoulder's about to break."
"Hahaha! That just proves you need to work out, little Jack. Build up those muscles and the ladies will come flocking to you, you hear?"
He flexed his arm, showing off his bulging biceps.
Jack and the big guy were both miners, and ever since Jack's first day on the job, the two had hit it off immediately—friends who could talk about anything.
But today, Jack's attention seemed elsewhere.
"Alright, alright, I don't have time to fool around with you today. I need to take some time off. Where's the foreman?"
Jack spoke with a faint, bitter smile.
"Foreman's out. What's wrong? You sick?"
"No, not exactly… just a stomachache. You know—same old problem."
"Oh, I see. Well, in that case, go home and get some rest. I'll put in the sick leave for you."
"Thanks. I owe you."
"Don't mention it! That's what friends are for, right?"
The big man slapped his chest proudly and laughed.
"Yeah… I'll be heading out then."
Jack gave him a nod and slowly made his way out of the mine.
The silver mine lay only ten miles from Carson City.
Wearing his work clothes, Jack hopped on a public bus and was back in town in no time.
His house wasn't far from the NERV Second Branch.
Once home, Jack immediately took a long, hot shower, washing away every bit of grime and silver dust from his body.
Then, changing into clean clothes, he stepped back outside.
But instead of going to the hospital—like he had told his friend—Jack turned his gaze toward that massive rectangular building in the distance.
He stood there for a long time, silently, until finally a faint, bitter smile crossed his lips.
So… the time's finally come. These good days were never going to last forever.
With a soft sigh, Jack pivoted on his heel. His movements were light, precise, and quick. Within moments, he vanished around the corner, leaving no trace.
Not long after, that same small figure quietly entered the grounds of the NERV Second Branch.
Despite the strict security, Jack moved freely, unimpeded, through one checkpoint after another.
Clearly, he was no ordinary man.
His path eventually brought him to the very bottom level of the facility.
There, standing silently in its storage dock, was a colossal machine.
Evangelion Unit‑04.
This was the storage area—the most heavily guarded section of the entire branch. No one was allowed in without clearance.
But none of that seemed to matter to Jack.
Staring up at the towering form of Eva‑04, Jack muttered to himself:
"So this is Unit‑04… It really is enormous."
He drew in a long, steadying breath.
Snow falling on Moscow's rooftops… even that beauty can't compare to the warm breeze off the North Atlantic coast.
But Jack knew—he would never again see either of those sights.
Because just a few days ago, the order had come from Moscow:
Destroy the entire Second Branch.
Jack had been living as a spy in the United States for years.
He knew exactly what this mission meant.
I'm dead. I'll be dead soon.
I don't even have a will. To die like this… what a waste.
He shook his head and tried to clear his thoughts.
Even if his friend came by his house someday, there was nothing of value left for him to take. Just one small steel pen—an old birthday gift from that same friend.
Jack exhaled slowly, shoving all those stray thoughts aside.
He walked up to Evangelion Unit‑04 and pulled a device from his pocket.
His fingers moved quickly over the keypad, entering a long string of complex commands.
Within seconds, the massive machine stirred.
Evangelion Unit‑04—had activated.
The moment the Eva's systems came online, the entire storage chamber erupted in blaring alarms.
"What's going on?!"
"Who's there?! Intruder alert!"
Countless bootsteps thundered through the corridors.
Dozens of armed guards stormed into the storage bay, weapons raised.
But Jack didn't flinch. He didn't even move.
He simply stood there, smiling faintly.
"Hands up! Who the hell are you?!"
The squad leader barked the order, but Jack gave no reply.
"Get me a line to Command—tell them Unit‑04's been activated! Get the designated pilot down here immediately! We need control of that Eva now!"
"Yes, sir!"
Another guard shouted in response.
An unauthorized activation of Unit‑04 was already serious enough.
But now there was an unknown intruder inside the most secure part of the base…